POWERLIFTER Achele Guion is the sixth and last addition to the national team that will see action in the World Paralympic Games on Aug. 24 to Sept. 5 in Tokyo, Japan, getting a bi-partite approval from the International Paralympic Committee.
This bit of good news was shared by Paralympics national team chief of mission Francis Diaz, who said “her bi-partite approval just came out tonight.”
“Definitely happy and excited with this lean delegation. Each and every para athlete is committed to do their best and, hopefully, land a medal for our country,” Diaz said. “While we can’t predict and assure a medal from them, our best bets are swimmers Gawilan and Bejino.”
Guion joins the ranks of track and field bets Jerrold Mangliwan and Jeanette Aceveda, swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Gary Bejino and taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin, who will see action in the country’s eighth appearance in the quadrennial games for physically-challenged athletes.
The number exceeds the five standard-bearers in four sports that competed in the 2016 Rio World Para Games in the Brazilian capital, with table tennis player Josephine Medina bringing home a bronze medal.
Filipino para athletes won their first medal in the Games, also a bronze medal, from powerlifter Adele Dumapong Ancheta during the 2000 edition in Sydney, Australia.
